Battle of Sadowa (Königgrätz)
1866 · Königgrätz/Sadowa (modern Hradec Králové, Czechia) · World · Modern
The three Prussian armies arrived on the battlefield one after another as planned. The Second Army joined the fight in time to envelop the Austrian flank; the Austrian lines collapsed and the Austrians retreated en masse.
Belligerents
Kingdom of Prussia
- Commanders
- Helmuth von Moltke, William I
- Strength
- About 220,000
Austrian Empire and Saxony
- Commanders
- Ludwig von Benedek
- Strength
- About 215,000
Background
In the Austro-Prussian War, Moltke used railways to move separate forces that would converge in a combined attack: three Prussian armies were to unite near Königgrätz against the Austrian main force.
Course of the battle
- Advance separately, strike togetherThe three Prussian armies advanced separately along different routes, using railways to move quickly and close in on the battlefield.
- Holding out for reinforcementsThe Prussian vanguard engaged the Austrian main force in fierce fighting and for a time was hard-pressed while waiting for friendly forces.
- Flank envelopmentThe Second Army arrived in time and launched an all-out assault on the Austrian flank, and the Austrians collapsed along the whole line.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1866 |
|---|---|
| Place | Königgrätz / Sadowa (present-day Hradec Králové, Czechia) |
| Result | The three Prussian armies arrived on the battlefield one after another as planned. The Second Army joined the fight in time to envelop the Austrian flank; the Austrian lines collapsed and the Austrians retreated en masse. |
| Winner | Kingdom of Prussia |
| Casualties | Austrian losses exceeded 40,000 killed and captured, while Prussian losses were about 9,000. |
| Territorial change | Austria quickly sued for peace and was excluded from German affairs, and Prussia led the founding of the North German Confederation. |
Impact
The war was decided swiftly, in just seven weeks. It proved the power of railway troop movements and the General Staff system, and provided the model for the Prussian command system in the Franco-Prussian War four years later.
See the world in 1866 on the map →